Honor the burgerDear Editor: Celebrate "A trip down memory lane on the Hamburger Train" (Michael Perlman - September 4) by participating in National Hamburger Day on Thursday, September 18. Ignore all of the healt...

Against ConventionDear Editor: The United States Constitution has endured for more than two centuries, securing the blessings of liberty for all Americans. There are people now who seek to radically alter the Consti...

R.I.P. RiversDear Editor: Joan Rivers, the queen of comedy who brought her refreshing brand of laughter to millions, has passed away. She will surely be missed by those who need some humor in their lives. My he...

Free womenDear Editor: Republican Conservatives and their Libertarian pseudonym scream, "freedom, freedom, freedom!" When are they going to concede some of that "freedom" to women concerning their very own b...

On the recordDear Editor: The New York City Police Dept. made 150,000 arrests in 4 years. I believe that in that time, there is only one arrest where the perpetrator died. I am sure that many of these arrests i...

Voting for AvellaDear Editor: I have lived in Queens my whole life, and since State Senator Tony Avella has been elected I have seen great improvement. Tony has always been a strong supporter of the spirit of the A...

Gun nutsDear Editor: A nine-year-old girl at a shooting range accidentally kills an instructor with an Uzi set on full-auto, and I'm sure the NRA will put out an a official statement blaming the girl for n...

The mighty QuinnDear Editor: Former City Council Speaker and losing mayoral wanna-be Christine Quinn has finished licking her wounds and come out of the closet. She is assisting in the creation of the "Women's Equ...

Never forgetDear Editor: I'm greatly troubled by the belief of some who think we must move on; that there is too much talk of 9/11 after 13 years. I beg to differ. We lost thousands of good people, including 3...

The real insultDear Editor: I must reply to Alfred Waddell, whose letter about impeachment of President Obama appeared in this paper on August 21. Mr. Waddell claims taking such action would insult the intelligen...

Tragedy all aroundDear Editor: The recent death of Eric Garner, which may have been related to a police chokehold, did not have to be. Blame the economy for forcing Eric Garner, like thousands of other out-of-work N...

Just the factsDear Editor: I came across your newspaper recently and on page 7 found "Dispatch," a page dedicated to "letters, blog posts, comments and updates." Thankfully the word "facts" wasn't included. For ...

War on graffitiDear Editor: The scourge of Queens and New York City is graffiti. It makes you so angry and somewhat sad to see the senseless indiscriminate markings of these vandals throughout our communities. In...

I'm voting AvellaDear Editor: On September 9, registered Democratic Party voters in the 11th Senatorial District will choose between incumbent Tony Avella and former comptroller John Liu as their candidate for Stat...

Prudent pruningDear Editor: What is all of this ballyhoo about the Parks Department not pruning the correct trees in the boroughs?The department and the Comptroller's Office needs to better coordinate how and whe...

Oil prices were edging higher for a second session on Friday on hopes that non-OPEC producers meeting in Vienna would agree to cut output to bolster the group's own agreement to limit production. On Saturday, oil ministers from OPEC countries will meet non-OPEC producers in Vienna to seek help in curbing a global glut. Russia has said it would cut 300,000 barrels per day, meaning other non-OPEC producers combined would need to pledge the same amount to lower output by the 600,000 bpd OPEC wants.

Before Syria's ruinous civil war struck Aleppo, the country's largest city was a busy commercial powerhouse and a proud historic center - its long heritage on display in ancient landmarks still used by modern day traders, travelers or worshippers. The rebels hoped their march into Aleppo marked the beginning of the end for President Bashar al-Assad, while the government in Damascus pledged to swiftly drive them out.